Discussion on Convergence Issues in ABAQUS/Standard while Carrying Out Damage and Fracture Analysis

As a universal finite element method commercial software, ABAQUS has been widely used in scientific research and engineering applications. However, convergence difficulties are familiar issues while carrying out damage and fracture analysis. Several methods, which are helpful to avoid these convergence problems, are presented in this paper. Baseline simulations about damage initiation and propagation in composites indicate that a larger value of viscous regularization causes the peak of the reaction force to be higher. A smaller viscosity parameter is better than bigger one. Other advanced techniques, include using automatic stabilization and customized general solution controls, are adoptable to improve convergence in ABAQUS/Standard analysis. The results of the paper are expected to provide guidance for the new user of ABAQUS.